New Checkered Baby ♥

[kimbosaur]

Not that they will change but you might inform the pet shop about the dangers of recommending and feeding Goldfish to garter snakes.
At least they would have been warned.
Just an idea.

I didn't even think of saying anything to them. If I ever go back, I'll be sure to casually bring it up.

Very nice T. marcianus. Looks to be female, just a guess. Great to read that she is feeding so soon,they do grow quickly so plan on a larger housing unit in the near future. again congratulations!

Thanks! I have a few empty tanks lying around. I just like the 5 gallon for now because it seems like a good size for her. I feel like she'd get lost in a 10.

I just never consider it as "must" just because the animal was WC or "could" have worms/parasites.

I guess I'll keep an eye on her and see how things go. Thanks for the input.

[kimbosaur]

On another note, I literally just spent two hours trying to make a custom screen for my non-standard 5 gallon. I brilliantly bought one of those mesh letter tray things from ikea thinking it would make a perfect cover. The result: a really crappy cover shoved into the top of the tank that is in two pieces because it wasn't long enough, some really sore fingers from cutting metal using fabric scissors and a $10 hole in my pocket.

The best part is, I have a standard-sized 5 gallon tank just sitting in the hallway outside my room, already emptied. I chose the non-standard because it looked nicer and I'm stubborn. Me and my bright ideas. Now I have to buy another screen tomorrow and move her once again. She will not be impressed.

The funny thing is, I kind of still want to try a diy. I really like this design!:
mod. front open 10gal. - CornSnakes.com Forums

[thamneil]

That seems like an awesome idea! It would probably creat a lot of mess with substrate (not to mention the garters pooping on the screen!). Maybe put in a substrate dam of some sort. Plexiglass or pvc would be great. Seems like a great idea for lots of babies! I could never build something that nice looking though.

[thamneil]

And congrats on the garter! I remembered when my checkered, named Knot, was that small. They grow so fast!

[ConcinusMan]

This is not say Steve is wrong, or deworming is wrong, this is just how I see it.

I know deworming them can give us peace of mind, but in other species I have found deworming, when not a neccesity, can be very hard on the animal. Even with WC, I like to watch them for a long time before I decide to do a deworming.

Agreed. She's too small and young to go through deworming. Never do it on a snake that young, and observe any WC adult and get them eating well first. Only if they appear to be in relative good health.

Just get her on a proper rich diet no thiaminase period and she'll be OK. She probably won't need deworming and if she does, it won't be until much later. You need to wait until she puts on size. Just my opinion. Even if she did pick something up she's not in immediate danger.

[kimbosaur]

Sounds good. I think I would be scared to dose the meds anyways.

Noob Question: I haven't seen any poops yet but she seems hungry today (she's hunting in her water bowl). Should I wait til I see poops to feed again or is it okay?

[guidofatherof5]

I would think if she's hungry you should feed her.
Just don't let her talk you into twice a day feedings.

[ConcinusMan]

I just don't think it's a good idea to feed them until they are morbidly disfigured an can hardly move. If you're feeding them daily or nearly daily, just a little will do.

[GarField000]

Noob Question: I haven't seen any poops yet but she seems hungry today (she's hunting in her water bowl). Should I wait til I see poops to feed again or is it okay?

Some of my checkered are sitting in the waterbowl for hours .....
Some just love to be in the water, swiming around and 'hang around' with only his head to come out.
Don't think they are waiting for food because they never get food on the waterbowl. Some even poop in the water
She might just love to swim around ...... (or waiting for food offcourse )

[ConcinusMan]

Check humidity Garfield?

I just find that with moderate humidity (50-60) and lack of fast temperature fluctuations, my snakes just don't feel the need to soak.

In order to understand why some snakes soak for some keepers, and other don't, you gotta look at that stuff. some of it is the substrate is dry and "sucks" the moisture from their surface, it's damp and doesen't, the air flow in the tank is dry and fast, etc. I mean there's a lot of variables that can cause a snake to want to soak, or not.

Sometimes it can be simply that the water takes longer to reflect temperature changes, sometimes it's low humidity or high air flow that prompts them to soak, I mean, a bowl of water acts as a buffer against temperature change, or shelter from drafts.

More than 2 decades experience an observation has taught me that if you provide a wide enough temperature gradient and moderate humidity, they quit soaking. When they are soaking, they are doing it for a reason. I tend to think it's more closely tied to thermoregulation than anything else.